Vietnam (11) Day 8 (5.2.2012)

I saved maps on my phone of the hotels wherabouts. I figured i could whip this out and show it to the taxi driver from the train station. As it turned out, he new exactly where we were going. When we arrived, the reception staff opened our taxi door, and helped us out with our bags. What a dream arrival especially after the hard core one in Saigon.

Gorgeous little mandarins sold with the branches and leaves still attached, eaten on a kitch plastic plate provided by the hotel when they saw we had brought fruit to eat. Kind and lovely!

lollypops and fruit and yogurty juices. a place off the street to eat with Aussie travelers to show off new toys and have conversations with.

Our view from the hotel lobby where we have a relaxed breakfast. 

Woke up and went for a walk to buy fruit and lollypops. Back to the hotel for breakfast of a baguette with jam and tea. Little messyfish ate over 1 kilo of mandarins, a carrot and 2 bread rolls. It seems that he doesnt eat when he is stressed. Now that we have a lovely foyer in a hotel, opposite the beach, filled with english speaking travellors he is not so stressed. Later he even ate some of the noodles from my Pho. We also found a ready made milo drink in a tetra pak and a yogurt for me. I didn't realize that we were missing dairy untill I spied these items in a little food stall near our hotel.
Little messyfish and I then got changes and crossed the road to the beach. Not so bad. There is a crossing with a set of lights right there at the hotel entrance. Mostly the traffic stops! Things were looking up for us already. He had a big long play on the beach. He ran and ran along the tide line. It was so wonderful to have the space and smell the sea air, and be able to move around freely! I was however having great difficulty in keeping up with little messyfish. I needed to keep up, because as the waves went out, he ran along the tide line closer to the water. Then suddenly the wave would come back in and he would fall. I need to keep up so he didnt get swept out. I also needed to keep up, so I could help him to avoid all the rubbish on the beach. Coming from Sydney originally, and living long perids of my life on the northern beaches, I was NOT expecting the amount and types of rubbish that was on the beach. It was disgusting. It was freaking me out, because the safe running and playing space I had come to Nha Trang for was not really safe. My boy was a fast runner. Those broken motorbike helmets, dead dogs, barnacle covered styrofoam boxes, random cracked plastic objects and squishy plastic bags of rubbish were being whooshed around in the waves, in out. My boy was running near and afar from these dirty and sharp objects. He would lie on his stomach and paddle and dig in the sand as the water washed up around him, along with the big rubbish objects.

fishing industry right there across the road from our hotel

Beautiful climate and views of Nha Trang, loving the open space of the coast.

The round boats used for fishing are then used for shade during the morning, by proping them up with the oar. The days catch is on display for sale. Plastic tubs fed with a line that pumps air into the water temporarily house the seafood, before it is quickly sold and the fishermen rest then go out again in the afternoon to catch more.

Little messyfish enjoying the freedom of the beach in Nha Trang.

Relaxing in the hotel room. Deep breath out, loving life.

The view from our hotel room was rather difficult to access. I was not ready yet for the added worry of unsafe balconies, or having to monitor little messyfish's climbing interests in a balcony room. Also the balcony rooms were said to be noisy because of the traffic below. So i just stood on the bed occasionally to look around outside. 

So the beach is not so great. The food street is great however. The Pho I had for lunch was delicious. Hot little green chilies bitten into whole, masses of fresh herbs, bean sprouts fresher than Ive ever experienced, beef, a clearish and flavorsome broth. I am feeling more relaxed and settled, but I really want to find a place with no motorbikes and a cleaner beach with prettier views. I also want to eat some fresh seafood whilst I am here. There doesn't seem to be any that looks fresh enough to eat along the locals street where I am getting food. Must be reserved for the tourists, a couple of kilometers down the road in the touristy center. I will try to work out how to catch the public bus there. I get directions from the hotel reception. A great helpful and friendly reception in this hotel. I love it, and feel safe.